Wednesday, April 29, 2026
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FEATUREDMUSIC NEWS
Jason Shrum

Sly Stone, Sly and the Family Stone Frontman, Dead at 82

“It is with profound sadness that we announce the passing of our beloved dad, Sly Stone of Sly and the Family Stone,” his family said in a statement on Monday, June 9. “After a prolonged battle with COPD and other underlying health issues, Sly passed away peacefully, surrounded by his three children, his closest friend, and his extended family. While we mourn his absence, we take solace in knowing that his extraordinary musical legacy will continue to resonate and inspire for generations to come.”

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FEATUREDLIVE REVIEWS
Jason Shrum

Spinning The Black Circle Of Life 

I was beyond thrilled that I was in the right place at the right time to complete this journey of mine.  I still have my Lollapalooza ticket from 1992 and I was sure to get an actual ticket from this show as well (it’s in the mail-hopefully). I write about many shows, as I go to a lot of concerts, but this one rang special.  I do not know if I will ever see the band live again, but I got to see them when they were just starting out and now, I have visited them as one of the biggest bands in the world. I am glad we all got to live this long and navigate this floating rock together.  

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FEATUREDINTERVIEWSMUSIC NEWS
Cretin

RIP Mike Peters – Love, Hope, Strength Defined 

I slipped “68 Guns” onto the turntable, and my musical life changed forever. The song is filled with slick guitars and powerful rhythms, but the key was this long-haired Welshman belting out the killer vocals.  Mike Peters was it!  Raw, passionate vocals that made the listener take notice, and the lyrics were great.  I remember that moment in the dingy WUVT studio, and the power of that music as if it happened yesterday.  Mike Peters and The Alarm helped me slip into this new Modern Rock / New Wave world where I soon dug into their peers: REM, The Cure, Pretenders, etc…  I stuck with the DJ gig, and it made me a bunch of money, and directly led to me meeting my wife. 

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FEATUREDINTERVIEWS
Jason Shrum

Getting to Know Echo Pilot

We all met at varying times. Echo Pilot is the brainchild of Ryan Van Abeele (singer/rhythm guitarist) and was started in 2018. Andrew Stuart Howsmon (bass/backing vocals) auditioned and was brought on in 2022. Dan Russell (drums) was recommended by a friend and fan of the band and auditioned and was brought on in October 2023. Aaron Smith (lead guitarist) auditioned around that time as well and was officially brought on in January 2024. The name Echo Pilot was literally just thrown together by Ryan who thought the two words together sounded cool. There’s no awesome name origin story (laughter ensues). 

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FEATUREDLIVE REVIEWS
Jason Shrum

Parker Barrow Doesn’t Rob Their Audience

Parker Barrow.  Parker Barrow.  Parker Barrow! I want to say it as many times as I can so that you will remember the name of this band. After seeing them perform live at 3rd & Lindsley in Nashville, I will never forget.  I have to say thank you to Gregg Bell, Parker Barrow’s manager, for reaching out to me and inviting me to the show.  I have been getting a lot of submissions through Rock Oracle to go out and see bands or listen to a new single and most the time I listen or find them online and I pass for one reason or another.  When I looked up this bluesy-southern rock band I found myself going down the rabbit hole to watch and listen to as much as I could – and then I saw them live – and I am a fan for life! 

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B SidesFEATURED
Jason Shrum

Stick it to the Man

I love how clean this track is.  It is a true testament into their production value and the uptick that I have personally seen in their professionalism. The mixing of the song by engineer Steve Hardy is absolutely fantastic. This band hits hard and plays fast but there isn’t any fallout of chaos.  The song could quite easily fit into a movie soundtrack that is looking for a theme song.  I imagine the underdog protagonist fighting against the corporate entity, who is looking to capitalize on humanities willingness to overlook their wrong doings for a handful of dimes.

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